GOD HOVERS

“The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2, ESV).

One night I had trouble going to sleep so I began singing a Jewish melody (Don’t ask me where it came from – I have no idea!) and then the words “God hovers” rose up in my spirit.

The next day I happened to watch a replay of a worship session* in which the speaker Dutch Sheets said, “God is hovering.” Dutch explained that when God’s Spirit hovers, He brings life out of death, out of bareness, and out of chaos; not only “saving life” but transformational life.  Another place where this verb “hover” is used is in Deuteronomy 32:11, where it describes a mother bird hovering over her little ones, encouraging them to fly.

Referring to Genesis 1:2, one commentator writes, “At times we feel like our lives are a mess. There is no light, and we are floating about like a cork lost at sea. We try to fight it, to no avail. We try to flee, but there is no exit. What do we do? We fall on our knees and ask the Holy Spirit to hover over our mess, to embrace it lovingly and prepare it for the light of God’s word… Because God’s spirit was hovering over it, chaos [mess] became promise.”

I don’t know about you, but it is difficult for me to see the creation story of many eons ago as relevant to my life today, but when I read the words, “chaos became promise,” my faith is stirred. There is no mess too great that God can’t bring life out of it, if not today, then in eternity.

Lord, thank you that your Spirit hovers over us like a mother bird encouraging her young. Thank you that all things work together for our good. Amen!

 *Fr. George Montague, SM, “He Still Hovers over Chaos” https://wau.org/resources/article/re_he_still_hovers_over_chaos/

*Glory of Zion: “Head of the Year 5779” (replay)